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Little League World Series 2014: Canada pitcher Emma March set to make mark in relief

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Emma March hold a baseball in the glove of her twin brother Evan as Vancouver manager Brian Perry looks. March is one of two girls in the Little League World Series and both pitch. Mach also plays first base and her brother pitches, too.
(John Beauge | Special to PennLive)

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — Mo'Ne Davis has been the center of attention as she pitched the Taney Dragons from Philadelphia into the Little League World Series.

But Davis is not the only girl in the series and the other, 12-year-old Emma March, also pitches along with playing first base. The 5-1, 100-pound right hander for Vancouver, Canada, often throws to her twin brother, Evan, who besides catching also pitches.

March said Monday she is looking forward to developing a friendship with Davis. The two are sleeping in the same house the Little League complex since the dormitories are for boys only.

Although March has learned about Davis only recently, "I think she is really good ball player, she said.

While Davis is Taney's top pitcher, March is fourth or fifth for Vancouver so in the series she will be delegated to relief. She was a starter in her league and threw two no-hitters including one in the provincial tournament leading up the Canadian national one.

She credits her father Derrick, a former Little Leaguer, with getting her interested in baseball. She started playing Little League at 6 in what in Canada is called the rookies with hitting off a pitching machine.

Never in her wildest dreams did she ever expect to be playing in the world series, March said. "I would always watch the games and I'd think I'd really like to be there," she said. "It's a dream being here."

Asked what it is like throwing to her brother, she replied, "I trust him every much." But, her brother, who is left handed, said it is a little harder catching her.

"Usually when I catch other people and they throw the ball in the dirt, I don't get upset," Evan March explained. "When she throws the ball in the dirt I get sort of irritated."

But, he said when she is struggling on the mound he tried to settle her down. It may be a biased assessment, but he said "she's a great pitcher."

Emma March calls the fastball her best pitch but she said she also throws a curve and slider.

Manager Brian Perry, who came as a spectator in 2009 when a Vancouver was in the series, says he has two pretty good starters ahead of March and a couple of other good hurlers.

March says she gets nervous when facing bigger players because they are good hitters, but "I relax and try to use different pitches against them."

Despite the media attention Davis and her likely will get, March said she is at the series to play ball. The media comes next, she said.

Because teams in the international and U.S. brackets do not play each other, about the only way Davis and March could face each other is if Philadelphia and Canada play for the world championship.

The exceptions would be if both teams lost in the respective bracket championship games and played each other in the consolation game on Aug. 24 or they scheduled an exhibition game between each other if eliminated earlier.